Glass bottle shattering and grinding apparatus

ABSTRACT

AN APPARATUS FOR BREAKING AND GRINDING GLASS BOTTLES TO SMALL FRAGMENTS COMPRISING AN INCLINED RECTANGULAR HOUSING HAVING A PADDLE WHEEL-TYPE BREAKER ROTOR MOUNTED THEREIN FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS, THE ROTATION OF THE SAID ROTOR AND HAMMER VANES THEREON BEING TOWARD THE INCLINED ANVILLIKE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE HOUSING, SAID VANES HAVING OUTSIDE CORNER PORTIONS REMOVED IN STAGGERED ARRANGEMENT TO PREVENT JAMMING OF THE ROTOR AND VANES, AND SAID BREAKER ROTOR HAVING A MASS SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE A FLYWHEEL EFFECT AT A PRESELECTED SPEED.

United States Patent y therein for rotation about a horizontal axis, the rotation of the i wing said rotor and hammer vanes thereon being toward the 0.8. CI 241/99, inclined anvillike bottom side of the housing, said vanes hav- 24l/ l 89, 24 l/ l 91 ing outside corner portions removed in staggered arrangement lnt.CI. B02c 19/14 to prevent jamming of the rotor and vanes, and said breaker Field of Search 24l I99, rotor having a mass sufficient to produce a flywheel effect at a 189, 191, 195, 197 preselected speed.

Inventors Oliver E. Taylor 204 Jefferson; Arthur A. Wildenberg, 1103 Riverside Drive, Kaukauna City, Wis. 54130 Appl. No. 857,407 Filed Sept. 12, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 GLASS BOTTLE SHATTERING AND GRINDING Primary Examiner- Robert C Riordon Assistant ExaminerMichael Koczo, Jr. Attorney-Stanley E. Binish ABSTRACT: An apparatus for breaking and grinding glass bottles to small fragments comprising an inclined rectangular housing having a paddle wheel-type breaker rotor mounted GLASS BOTTLE SHATTERING AND GRINDING APPARATUS Present day bottle smasher devices are inadequate in that during their operation such machines become clogged with glass fragments wedged between the breaker vanes and the housing.

The purpose of this invention is to avoid and eliminate the factors of design which contribute to such rotorjamming.

An additional purpose is to produce glass fragments, without sharp edges, usable, as gravel, in patios, and in concrete, or the like.

An object of this invention is the provision of a breaker vane design provided with an angle of relief as by removing a corner portion thereof.

Another object is to provide glass crusher means for shatter ing glass bottles and grinding or otherwise removing substantially all sharp edges from the glass fragments.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of an effective, simple and inexpensive means for shattering and fragmenting glass bottles.

Another object is to provide bottle fragmentation means having a rotor of sufficient mass to produce a flywheel effect adequate to oppose and moderate, by its inertia of motion, any retardations of its speed due to the instantaneous workload imposed thereon by present day durable whiskey and wine bottles.

Yet another object of this invention is the provision of an inclined rectangular housing having a breaker rotor mounted horizontally therein, the rotatable breaker rotor having hammer means cooperating with the inclined bottom side of the housing in anvillike manner.

Still another object is to provide a cylindrical feed tube extension for a rectangular bottle smasher housing, the two being connected by an elastic band or sleeve to function as a flexible extension tube means.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a breaker rotor of the paddle wheel-type wherein the vanes have outer corner portions thereof removed in staggered arrange ment.

Other specific features and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same become better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the FIGS. thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of FIG. 1, absent the motor and feed tube extension;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the beater rotor, per se, showing the breaker vanes thereon;

FIG. 4 is a section view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, showing the beater rotor mounted in the feed tube, and showing the direction of rotation of said rotor relative to the bottom side of the inclined feed tube; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the rotor looking axially as on broken line 5-5 of FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, there is shown in FIG. 1 a pedestal, generally indicated at 10, supporting a glass bottle-shattering device generally indicated at 11 and a motor generally indicated at 12 for driving said bottle-shattering device 11.

The pedestal comprises a horizontal base plate 13 adapted to be secured to a floor by any means (not shown), a vertical column or post 14 mounted and secured thereon as by welding 15, and a horizontal support platform 16 mounted and secured on top ofsaid post 14 as by welding 17.

The bottle-shattering device 11 comprises a short rectangular tube or housing 18 disposed over said platform 16 at substantially a 45 angle to the horizontal and is mounted on said platform through means of a pair of spaced vertical platelike legs 19 and 21. Said legs are secured to said platform and tube as by welding 22 and 23, respectively, see FIG. 1.

The underside 24 of said tubular housing is disposed as an inclined plane, that is, at an oblique angle with the plane ofthe horizon, for reasons hereinafter disclosed. Though the above 45 angle is preferred, the invention is not limited thereto.

The tube 18 is preferred to be square in cross section, although the invention is not limited thereto.

A breaker rotor of the paddle wheel-type, generally indicated at 25, see FIG. 3, is mounted for rotation in said tilted tubular housing 18.

Said breaker rotor 25 comprises a horizontally disposed shaft 26 disposed in and through said housing 18 through means of oppositely disposed apertures indicated at 27 and 28 in the housing sides 29 and 31, respectively, see FIG. 2.

The shaft 26 is journaled in bearings 32 and 33 carried by brackets 34 and 35 mounted externally on said sides 29 and 31, respectively, see FIG. 2. Said bearings are secured on said brackets as by welding indicated at 36; and said brackets-are secured to said housing sides as by welding indicated at 37.

A tube or sleeve 38, square in cross section, is snugly fit and sleeved over that portion of shaft 26 within housing tube 18, allowing for a slight operating clearance at the sidewalls of said housing 18.

The square tubular sleeve 38 is removably secured to shaft 26, to rotate therewith, by means of a pin or bolt 39 and nut 41, see FIG. 5, the pin or bolt being received in a diametral bore through said shaft 26 and diametrically through the opposite corners of said tubular sleeve 38, the bolthead and nut being suitably seated on welded material, as at 42, deposited for that purpose.

Quadrature spaced hammer vanes 43, 44, 45 and 46 are mounted symmetrically and longitudinally along the flat sides 47, 48, 49 and 51, respectively, of said square sleeve 38, see FIG. 4. Said hammer vanes are substantially as extensive in length as the sleeve 38, and are secured to said sides by welding such as indicated at 52, see FIG. 4.

Said hammer vanes are generally rectangular in shape, having an outer corner thereof removed as hereinafter described. Other than at the removed corners, the clearance between the vanes and the housing is substantially one-eighth inch.

Triangular outer corner portions of said hammer vanes are removed in a staggered arrangement such as on diagonal plane surfaces 53,54, 55 and 56, see FIG. 3, for reasons hereinafter described. The diagonal surfaces commence at the sleeve end and incline upwardly and terminate substantially at the midpoint of the outer edges of the vanes, such as at midpoints 57, 58, 59 and 61. However, the invention is not limited to such midpoint termination.

Such cutaway and removal of said corner portions avoids the tendency of a bottle to ride on the outer vane edges without being immediately struck and shattered; it provides a clear zone between diametrically opposite vanes to receive the broad base end ofa bottle and to deliver to such bottle the full broadside impact force of the oncoming hammer vane; and it otherwise provides air pressure relief. This vane spacing and corner construction allows the bottle to be fed to the hammer vanes right-side-up or up-side-down, that is, either with the broad base or bottom of the bottle disposed downwardly, or with the narrow neck or mouth end of the bottle disposed downwardly,

The electric motor 12, mounted on platform 16, adapted for connection to a power source (not shown), is provided with a sheave 62 mounted on the drive shaft thereof to rotate therewith.

A companion sheave 63 is mounted on the breaker rotor shaft 26 to rotate therewith.

An endless belt 64 is trained over said sheaves, whereby said motor drives said breaker rotorthrough said belt means.

The lower or discharge end or opening of the rectangular tubular housing 18 is partially restricted by a baffle or wall 65 mounted across a portion of said discharge opening to deflect glass fragments downwardly into a waste container 66 disposed thereunder.

The upper or inlet feed end of the square tubular housing 18 is provided with a cylindrical tubular extension 67 connected to the rectangular tubular housing 18 by means of an elastic band 68. Such elastic band provides flexible means for suitable angular adjustment purposes of one tube relative to the other, if necessary to accommodate a particular installation, as well as a simple convenient means for connecting a cylindrical cross section tube and a rectangular cross section tube.

A closure or cover 69 is pivotally mounted and seated on the outer end of extension tube 67 as by hinge means indicated at 71 to provide a guard and protection against flying broken glass resulting from the bottle breaking operation.

OPERATION With the drive motor 62 actuated, and the breaker rotor 25 rotating counterclockwise as indicated by arrows 72, an attendant may lift the pivotal closure 69 to an open position 73 and drop a bottle, one bottle at a time, into the mouth of extension tube 67, and almost simultaneously therewith release his grasp on the closure allowing it to fall by gravity into a closed position seated on the end of said extension tube.

As the bottle is supported on and slides down the declined bottom 24 of the tubular housing 18 it is thusly delivered to the breaker rotor 25 and fed to the hammer vanes thereof.

With the declined side 24 supporting the bottle as on an anvil, the hammer vanes, rotating toward such inclined anvil, deliver an impact blow to the bottle shattering it. Successive blows by the hammer vanes reduce the bottle to small fragments, without sharp edges, discharging them as at 74 into waste container 66.

The inclined plane side 24 and the horizontally disposed rectangular hammer vanes cooperating therewith provide an arrangement for shattering glass into small fragments over a wide area, as distinguished from a cylindrical housing construction which accumulates the glass fragments in a troughlike concentration making further fragmentation difficult.

The motor 12 is of conventional type operable at substantially 1,725 r.p.m.: however, the invention is not limited to such r.p.m. The rotor is also preferred to operate at substantially 1,725 r.p.m.

The mass of the breaker rotor is sufficient to produce a flywheel effect to oppose and moderate, by its inertia of motion, any fluctuations or retardations of its speed due to changes in the workload imposed on said rotor, at the above preferred 1,725 r.p.m. of the rotor. Consistent with the above, steel vanes having dimensions substantially 8 inches in width, 3% inches in height, and 1% inch in thickness have been found practical and suitable for the purpose.

Some characteristic features of this invention are the provision of a bottle breaker rotor having a mass sufficient to produce a flywheel effect adequate to resist any retardation of its speed caused by the durable present day bottles; the provision of a paddle wheel-type rotor having hammer vanes cooperating with an inclined side of the housing in anvillike manner; the provision of a paddle wheel type rotor having corner portions of the vanes thereof removed in staggered arrangement; and the provision of a paddle wheel-type rotor for removing sharp edges from glass fragments.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood, that within the scope of the ap pended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent ofthe United States is:

We claim:

I. A machine for breaking and shattering glass bottles, comprising:

1. a tubular housing rectangular in cross section,

a. said housing being disposed tilted so that the tilted housing makes an oblique angle with the plane of the horizon,

2. support means for supporting said tubular housing,

3. breaker rotor means mounted for rotation in said housa. the axis of rotation of said rotor means being disposed horizontally across the sidewalls of said housing and substantially midway between the topside and underside of said housing,

4. said rotor means including radially-extending, generallyrectangular hammer vanes,

a. said hammer vanes having outer corner portions removed in staggered arrangement, and

b. said vanes extending substantially to the surrounding walls of said housing except for the cutout corner portions of said vanes.

2. The machine of claim 1 wherein said rotor means has a mass sufficient to produce a flywheel effect adequate to oppose and moderate, by its inertia of motion, any substantial retardation of its speed caused by changes in the workload imposed thereon, at a preselected operating speed of the rotor means.

3. A machine for breaking and shattering glass bottles, comprising:

l. a tubular housing rectangular in cross section,

a. said housing being disposed'tilted so that the plane of the underside of said tilted housing makes an oblique angle with the plane of the horizon,

2. support means for supporting said tilted housing,

3. oppositely disposed apertures in the sidewalls of said tubular housing,

a. said apertures being disposed substantially midway between the topside and underside of said housing,

4. a shaft received in said apertures,

a. said shaft extending beyond said apertures,

5. bearing means for rotatably supporting said shaft at said shaft extensions,

6. a sleeve snugly fit over said shaft within said housing,

7. means for securing said sleeve to said shaft to rotate therewith,

8. radially-extending, generally-rectangularhammer vanes mounted on said sleeve, a. said hammer vanes having outer corner portions removed in staggered arrangement, andb. said vanes extending substantially to the surrounding walls of said rectangular housing except for the cutout corner portions of said vanes, and 9. the rotor means comprising said shaft, sleeve, securing means, and hammer vanes assemblage having a mass sufficient to produce a flywheel effect adequate to oppose and moderate, by its inertia of motion, any substantial retardation to its speed caused by changes in the workload imposed thereon, at a preselected operating speed of said rotor. 4. The machine of claim 3 wherein the clearance between the outer edges of the vanes and the housing, except at the removed corner portion, is substantially one-eighth inch.

5. The machine of claim 3 wherein: l. the sleeve is square in cross section, 2. the hammer vanes are quadrature spaced and mounted on the four sides ofsaid square sleeve, respectively. The machine of claim 5 wherein: the bearing means are disposed externally of the housing, the securing means are removable,

the removed corner cutout portions are defined by a diagonal line commencing at a lower outer corner of said hammer vanes and terminating substantially at the midpoint ofthe outer edge of said vanes.

7. The machine ofclaim 6 and motor for driving said rotor means, a cylindrical tubular extension on the upper end ofsaid rectangular housing, an elastic band surrounding and connecting said extension and housing, and closure means hinged on the open end of said extension, said closure means being liftable upwardly to an open position and scatable by gravity to a closed position on said extension.

yuan-m 

